Bariatric medicine deals with the causes, prevention and treatment of obesity. A bariatric medicine physician, or bariatrician, may treat patients with diet and nutrition, exercise, behavior modification or medication. The bariatrician may also coordinate patient care with a bariatric surgeon, who may perform surgery. Bariatric or gastric bypass surgery, also known as roux-en-Y gastric bypass, creates a small pouch of the stomach that bypasses part of the intestine. When the size of the stomach is reduced by surgery, it allows less food to be ingested, resulting in weight loss.

Obesity is damaging to one’s health: some of the negative effects of obesity are heart disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer, hypertension, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, arthritis; and obesity has been known to shorten one’s lifespan.

Oregon’s population is 3,641,056, and the capital city is Salem. The Cascade Mountains in the central part of the state offer skiing and other winter sports, while the western border of Oregon is the Pacific Ocean. Visitors can tour the Sea Lion Caves in Florence or the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria. Every year, Oregon’s coastal lighthouses see many visitors. You can enjoy some famous Tillamook cheese and other dairy products at local creameries, or try a fresh beer in Portland, the unofficial craft brewing capital of the United States.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Oregon has a population of 3,641,056. Of this population, 813,132 are under the age of 18 and 465,940 are at or above the age of 65.